TV Antenna in remote area

[BB_TX]

At our cabin where we deer hunt (south of Fredericksburg) we can barely get TV signal. Located in a valley with a fairly high hill between us and Austin and San Antonio direction. Not sure exactly where the transmitters are located. Using a standard fairly large antenna. An amplifier helps a little. Can pick up Temple sometimes.
My question. I have a second large antenna. Is it possible to mount the second antenna on the same pole as the other, connect the two together and increase the signal?

 

[kennyd]

At our cabin where we deer hunt (south of Fredericksburg) we can barely get TV signal. Located in a valley with a fairly high hill between us and Austin and San Antonio direction. Not sure exactly where the transmitters are located. Using a standard fairly large antenna. An amplifier helps a little. Can pick up Temple sometimes.
My question. I have a second large antenna. Is it possible to mount the second antenna on the same pole as the other, connect the two together and increase the signal?

Go to this site: AntennaWeb then click "choose an antenna". Put in your zip code and will tell you what you need, and what you can expect to receive. It's a truly remarkable site.

 

[mrennie]

Hi:

I doubt that would work, as you would effectively cut the antenna impedance in 1/2 causing a mismatch, and the signals from the 2 antennas would not likely be in phase which would further drop the levels.

The only way to get a stronger signal is:

1) Raise the antenna to get a better line of sight

2) Install an antenna with a higher gain (more elements or rods provide a higher gain)

3) Use an amplifier with more gain (which is a compromise with a weak signal as you will amplify both the signal and the noise.)

Antenna design greatly affects gain so if you have a standard TV antenna you may be able to buy a different model with several dB more gain. Note that for every 3dB of gain over your current antenna, the signal power doubles.


Michael

 

[tommu56]

Yes you can do it just put a splitter on backwards to combine the antennas.

A rotor might help too the new digital stations you have to be aimed right at them.

My cabin went from 6 fuzzy analog before digital to one good digital pbs channel with nothing on.
The switch ticked me off no abc cbs or nbc just pbs.

tom

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

If you have DISH or DirecTV at home have you considered taking a receiver with you and setting up another dish? If you are down in Texas the angle of elevation might be enough to get over any surrounding hills.

 

[BobRip]

The rule of thumb is that for every 10 feet you raise an antenna, the signal will double. Probably even more when you are in a low place. Can you put the antenna on the hill and run wire down to the cabin. Put the amplifier at the antenna. Amplifying it at the TV just adds noise. The reversed splitter with 2 antennas will help.

 

[BB_TX]

We could also get several,sometimes fuzzy, Austin/San Antonio network channels before digital. Now we can't get those.
The odd thing is, we can get 2 channels (2 & 3 I think) great, but neither are network channels. NBC out of Temple comes and goes. Mostly goes.
I may try the reverse splitter thing. If that does not work, may have to try getting a taller pole.
The hill is a couple hundred yards away on the ajoining property.
Have thought of getting an extra dish and receiver for our camper which I could also take to the cabin. But not sure I want to mess with that.
We really only use the TV to keep up with the news and (especially) the weather. Although a football game is certainly not out of the question.

 

[ToadHill]

I had the same problem you describe. I tried all kind of fix's and nothing helped. Well at home I have Direct TV and have 2 receivers one on each floor of the house.

When I go to the farm, I take one of the receivers with me and I paid to have an extra dish installed on the farm house. It was the only way I could get reliable service.

 

[Kfbeal]

Not quite the same problem, but down at our place at the bay we have a directv dish mounted and just take one of our receivers down there with us when we go.

 

[EarPlug]

I have spoken with and used Antennas Direct. Very helpful and good products. Give them a call.

 

[BB_TX]

I found antennas direct while doing some searching on the problem. But their long range antennas are in the range of $150-200. Was hoping to come up with a cheaper solution no more than we would use it.

We have Dish at home. But the cabin is about 300 miles from here. I think I would be far enough outside my home area I would not be able to get network channels even if I had a dish and receiver to take there.

 

[RavensRoost]

We have DISH service in town and I purchased a second dish and receiver from Dish and installed at weekend place. They treat it as a "second bedroom" for about $7/month, but one-time cost was something like $300. If you are confident an expensive antenna would do it, that would be the way to go, no monthly costs the other ~ 11 months of the year.

My only other recommendation is to get a cribbage board and leave the TV off.

RavensRoost

 

[dave1949]

My only other recommendation is to get a cribbage board and leave the TV off.

RaensRoost

Now you're talkin'. A couple of good movies on DVD, good books. Forget the world for a while, it's healthy.
Dave.

 

[The Dougster]

As has been suggested, get another dish and receiver and simply at it to your existing account (assuming you have one) it costs another $5-7/month and is an excellent solution. Our ranch is near Lometa in Lampasas County and this is what we do... many times one can find a dish at garage sales for under $10... Hows the hunting been in Fredericksburg this year?

 

[BB_TX]

........... Hows the hunting been in Fredericksburg this year?

Slow. Very slow. We have seen fewer deer than we have seen in many years. And have heard very little shooting anywhere near, even on opening weekend. We have been hunting the same place for 41 years. And it has really been slowing down in the area the last few years.

 

[GT2]

First go to TV Fool and put in your location. This will tell you what is available in your area.
Then go here, http://www.highdefforum.com/local-hdtv-info-reception-9/
and post your tvfool report and ask what you should do.
These guys are pros. However a one of them can be a bit condescending, but dont let it bother you.

 

[jinman]

At our cabin where we deer hunt (south of Fredericksburg) we can barely get TV signal. Located in a valley with a fairly high hill between us and Austin and San Antonio direction. Not sure exactly where the transmitters are located. Using a standard fairly large antenna. An amplifier helps a little. Can pick up Temple sometimes.
My question. I have a second large antenna. Is it possible to mount the second antenna on the same pole as the other, connect the two together and increase the signal?

Bill, are you using a VHF or a UHF antenna? Most of the new digital TV channels are UHF in the DFW area. In San Antonio, all the major networks are broadcasting on the UHF band since the digital switch.

I put a small 14" x 30" UHF directional antenna on my roof and get all the DFW stations except for ABC/WFAA Channel 8 that is still in the VHF band. I'm 69 miles away from most of the broadcast antennas and still receive a good signal at my converter box and directly into a HDTV with digital receiver.

 

[sawdust_maker]

At our cabin where we deer hunt (south of Fredericksburg) we can barely get TV signal. Located in a valley with a fairly high hill between us and Austin and San Antonio direction. Not sure exactly where the transmitters are located. Using a standard fairly large antenna. An amplifier helps a little. Can pick up Temple sometimes.
My question. I have a second large antenna. Is it possible to mount the second antenna on the same pole as the other, connect the two together and increase the signal?

While some will tell you that this will cause a problem, it IS possible with some effort.

We live out far enough that I have 4 antennas installed. Two point in one direction towards one major city, two point towards the other major city in this area. An antenna pointed towards one city will not see the signals from the other that is roughly 150 degrees in the other direction.

As for the antenna pairs, they have been carefully placed to minimally interfere with each other. I put one in place, then moved the second by hand until my wife, who was watching a signal strength meter, said to stop. We chose a position that worked best overall for all of the signals from that direction. Yes, this took some time, while holding an antenna over my head in 90 degree temperatures. A difference of several inches was obvious in moving the second antenna.

I also tested that if I remove any single antenna from this set, the signal degrades from what I get with all of them in place.

The antennas are DB8 antennas. I got them from Antennas Direct, but I believe that Amazon sells them too, and for less. They are multiplexed together with a high quality signal combiner, then they hit an amplifier. Quad-shielded RG6 cable is used to bring the signal in. Another high quality splitter is used inside the house. Note: it was not until I replaced a few cheap components in this chain that I was able to get good reception. And you can even find various degrees of quality in something as specific as quad-shielded RG6 coax.

You will want to make your own cables up, since longer cable runs will lose signal. And high quality connections at the ends are important too.

All four antennas are in the attic space of my garage, so they are protected from the weather. That weather is severe enough out here that a good winter will strip an exposed antenna clean. Being inside the roof of our garage, this degrades the signal. Even so, I get HD reception from 80+ miles away, and on some days I can pick up clear signals from over 100 miles away.

I cannot assure you that you will have success here, only that I did.

John

 

[RobertN]

Amplifier?

My 5th wheel has an antenna, and a switchable amplifier. Even at home, I get like two channels. Turn on the amplifier, and I get more like 20 channels.

Might be a cheap fix.

If I were to park next to your cabin, I would have to use my amplifier.

 

[BB_TX]

Jim - It is an older but fairly large VHF/UHF antenna I took there years ago. I have a second large older VHF/UHF antenna in the attic that we don't use that I may try to pair up with the other. I tried the second one with a spare TV here at home (Probably not much closer than you to the transmitters) and it picked up quite a few channels.

John - I will give that a try. I probably do need to upgrade the cables and connections also.

Robert - One of the guys brought his travel trailer this year with its antenna and built in amp. But he did not have much success either. We also have a 5th wheel with an antenna and amp but have not tried using it since the digital conversion except once on top of Raton Pass. Did not get anything up there even with the amp on. Have not tried it otherwise as there is often cable available. I don't need the TV but the wife wants it.